Feed or drawing roller for textile machines



March 12, 1935. FQSSEL FEED OR DRAWING ROLLER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed March 7, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lmreniov- Joseph 1 05591.

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- FEED 0R DRAWING ROLLER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES QYM, VQ MN m Patented Mar. 12, 1935 UNETED' STATES PAT ENT, OFFICE 7 1,994,174 j e T V FEED? R DRAWING ROLLER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES I 7 Joseph Fossel, Grafton, Mass. Application March 7, 1932, Serial NoL 65'9,944 4 Glaims. (c1. 19, 141) The present invention relates to a feed or 7 machines for preparing fibrous material for spinning, such as draw boxes, combing machines and lap machines.

In'prior devices of this character, the feed or drawing instrumentalities have been in general of two different types; one type involves intermeshing flutedrollers between which the fibrous material is fed or drawn, and the other type involves a fiuted roller which engages a cylindrical roller having a smooth surface. In the first .type, the intermeshing rollers provide an uneven W tension or draft on the sliver or ribbon which results in an uneven web of material, leaving weak places in the finished filament. The intermeshing rollers alsohave a tendency to crush the fibers as, they are passed therebetween, and it ispractically impossible to form a uniform web or ribbon of material without weak or thin places by the use of intermeshing rollers.

In the use of a fluted roller in connection with a roller having a cylindrical surface, it has been customary to form the feed ,or drawing roller with a relatively large number of closely arranged teeth which present relatively sharp edges for engagement with the pressure roller. In order to procurea positive feed or drawing of the fibers between a roller ofthis character and the pressure roller, it has been necessary to provide an extremely heavy pressure between said rollers with the result that the fibers passing between the rollers are crushed or broken and with the further result that the outer covering of thepressure roller is subjected to undue wear, particularly in the formation of corrugations therein by the action of the feed roller.

To avoid the formation of grooves in the pressure roller by'the action of the teeth or ribs of the feed roller, it :has been the practice to vary materially the spacing between successiveteeth of the roller. Although this eliminates the formation of grooves in the-pressure roller, it results in an uneven feeding or drawing action which prevents the formation of a uniform web of material In other prior art devices,the width of the outer surfaces of successive teethor ribs is varied materially; this also results in an uneven feeding action which produces an uneven web. It is the principal object of the present in ventionto overcome the objections of the prior devices by a feed roller which operates in conjunction with a pressure roller-having a cylindrical surface, the feed roller providingfor'a positive and uniform feeding or drawing action on the fibrous material.

In previously known feeding or drafting in-' strumentalities,it has been difficult to maintain a uniform-width of ribbon or sliver as it passes betweenthe' feed roller and the pressure roller, since, in theusual type of feed rollers, the fibrous material is'inclined to flare as it passes between successive. pairs of rollers and beyond the rollers. The spreading action has been overcome by guides which maintain a uniform width of ribbon or'web although, as a result of the action of the guides, the opposite edges of the ribbon become somewhat thicker than 'thejcentral portion there of, and'the rollers, between which the web there-- after passes, cannot obtain a positive engagev ment with the web over the entire width-and cannot,therefore, provide'a uniform and positive 7 feeding or drawing action on the web. A further object'of the present invention resides in the provision of a feed roller which, by its positive and uniform engagement with the web of material, prevents flaring thereof as it is fed between said feed roller and the pressure roller,

Long'drafting of fibrous material, particularly cotton,'prior to the present invention, has been impossible, by'reason of the uncertain or nonuniform engagement between the feed. roller and the cooperating pressure roller, in a drawing frame or other machine for preparingthe material for spinning which is adapted for the short drafting of fibrous material. A further object of the present invention is accordingly to provide a feed roller which is suitable for both short drafting and long draftingof cotton or other fibrous material and which, in use will deliver a uniform web from the machine.

Other and further objects and advantagesof the invention will appear from the following description' taken in connection with the accompanying'drawings in whichzp- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a drawing frame showing an application of a roller the cooperating pressure feed rollers 3, 3a and 3b with said pressure rollers held in engagement with the corresponding feed roller with a predetermined pressure through suitable weights or springs suspended from or attached to members 4 on the shafts of the pressure rollers. The Web 1 is drawn or elongated materially by each successive pair of rollers so that the web as it leaves the roller 2b is materially longer and lighter in weight than the web as it passes between the rollers 2 and 3; The attenuation of the web by a draw box'incorporating the novel rollers is as much as thirteen or fourteen times the original length of the web, and the operation of the feed rollers permits theattenuated web to be entirely uniform throughout.

Each successive feedor drawing roller is driven a at a faster rate than the preceding roller to accommodate the increasing length of the sliver as 7 with the gears 9 and 10. The second or middle feed roller 2a is driven from a gear 13 on the feed roller 2b through an idler gear 14 which meshes with a gear 15 on the roller 2a. A pair of cooperating rollers 18 which maintain a'desired'tension on the web as it comes from the drawing rollers, said rollers 18 operating to draw the sliver through a trumpet 20 positioned adjacent the third roller 2b, are driven from the drive shaft 5 at the proper speed by a gear 16 which meshes with a'gear 17 on one of the rollers 18 and with the gear 13.

In order to obtain a uniform elongation of the web or sliver between successive feed rollers, it is necessary that the web be given a positive and uniform feeding action by each roller and to this end the feed rollers 2, 2a and 2b are of a novel construction best shown in Fig. 2. According to the invention, each feed roller is in the form of a cylinder, the outer surface of which is provided with a plurality of relatively large teeth or ribs 21, said ribs being materially reduced in number from the usual number of ribs provided in prior art machines. Each rib21 provides an outer land or surface 22 concentric to the axis of the roller and of a material width to provide a cylindrical surface on each rib for engagement with the cooperating pressure roller. The opposite faces 23 of each rib extend at an angle of substantially 45 to each other and also extend at equal angles to the outer surface 22 of the rib. The outer surfaces 22 of successive ribs vary slightly in width from a minimum width of approximately one sixty-fourth of an inch, the variations being on the order of from two to seven thousandths of an inch in order to avoid the formation of permanent notches or depressions in the surface of the pressure roller by-continued use of said pressure roller. It will be apparent that if all of the ribs were of equal width, they would soon form uniformly spaced depressions in the surface of the pressure roller and the latter would then function as a gear meshing with the teeth or ribs of the feed roller, a result which is obviously objectionable and undesirable. The small variations in widths in successive ribs provided by the present invention are great enough to avoid a permanent notching of the pressure rollers so that the latter are usable over a relatively long period of time before it is necessary to replace them; at the same time, the variations in'width of successive ribs are so slight that the varying feeding effect produced on uniformly fed through each successive pair of rollers and at the same time each feed roller positively supports the fibers against being pulled through bythe successive feed roller so that each fiber in the web is advanced relative to each other fiber the same predetermined amount and auniform web greatly attenuated is delivered from the' draw box. The use of this type of feed roller" makes possible a longer draft or greater elongation of the web or sliver as. it passes through the draw box than in the priorconstructions and at" the same time provides for a'uniform attenuat fln byreason of the positive engagementbetween the surfaces of the feed roller andthe correspond.- ing pressure roller.

As above stated, the rollers have a relatively small number of ribs which-however, vary somewhat depending on the quantity of material being drawn through the drawbox. In the-embodiment shown, the first'drawing roller 2, which, for

most satisfactory operation, is substantially one and one-half inches in diameter, is provided with forty-two ribs and the second drawing roller which operates on a sliver of lighter weight'is one and one-fourth inches in diameter with forty-1 two ribs so that said ribsare thus more closely arranged. The third drawing roller 2b is'equal in size to the roller 2 being one andone half inches in diameter and to accommodate a finer or lighter sliver has sixty ribs, thus providing'a} 1 closer spacing of the ribs than in either ofthe preceding rollers.

1 By, theformation of each of the ribs with flats} V each roller are preferably all uniform in width;

The particular angle of the side surfaces of the ribs'and the proper spacing of the ribs in a roller embodying the present invention provide for a definite clamping or engagement of the web or sliverbetween said roller and the pressure roller which definitely supports each individual fiber in the web against undesired movement and ob tains the above-noted result, namely,'th'at each At the:

fiber is advanced a predetermined amount relative to each other fiber in the web. This positive gripping action of the ribsof the feed roller also preventsthe objectionable flaring or spreading 'of' the web and maintains perfect selvedges at oppo side edges thereof. It has been found that the width of the web in passing through a draw box incorporating the novel rollers is maintained entirely uniform throughout the length of the draw box. By eliminating the heretofore necessary guides, the amount of waste commonly known'as' fly resulting from the drawing action is ate;

rially reduced.

In the proper drawing of the web, the successive feed rollers are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the length of the longest fibers in the web-so that no fiber is engaged by a succeeding roller until it has been released from the preceding roller. This eliminates breaking of the fibers and also a tendency of the fibers to become disarranged and no longer retain their proper direction in the web.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the pressure rollers cooperating with the feed rollers are provided with a layer of felt 24 covered by leather 25 or other resilient matee rial. By this arrangement which, in itself, is not novel, the fluted feed rollers are able to form temporary depressions in the pressure roller during the passage of the webtherebetween, so that the feed roller engages the'web over a predetermined distance on both sides of the center line of the feed and pressure rollers. The clamping action by each successive pair of rollers is not immediately released but as the material passes therethrough, the clamping action is gradually diminished, providing for a more uniform drawing action between successive pairs of rollers as will least two of the ribs and at the same time the.

spacing and the width of the flats on the ribs is such that a positive clamping action on the web is obtained without the use of excessive pressure between the pressure roller and the corresponding feed roller.

It has been found that when the angularity of the opposite surfaces 23 of each of the ribs of the roller is increased so that said surfaces extend at an angle of approximately 50 or more to each other, the clamping action obtainable between said feeding roller and the cooperating pressure roller is decreased so that an increase in the pressure exerted by the pressure roller is necessary to obtain a positive feeding action. At the same time, when the opposite surfaces of each of the ribs extend at an angle of approximately 40 or less to each other, the corners of the ribs between the surfaces 22 and 23 have a tendency to crush or cut the fibers in the web so that the web is damaged and the feeding action-is no longer positive and uniform.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention resides mainly in the provision of a drawing or feed roller for use in spinning machines and in machines for preparing fibrous material for spinning, said roller having a relatively small number of large ribs on the periphery thereof with each of said flutes providing an outer surface concentric to the axis of the roller. The outer surfaces of each of said ribs is of a substantial width and, although the width of successive ribs varies slightly, the variation is so small as to have no effect on the uniform feeding action of the rollers. The opposite faces of each of the liutes extend at an angle of approximately to each other and also symmetrically to the axis of the roller. The invention further resides in the combination of a feed or drawing roller of this type with a cooperating member or pressure roller which provides a smooth, arcuate or cylindrical surface for engagement with the outer surfaces of the ribs, thereby providing a positive feeding action of the fibers in the web as it passes between said rollers.

Although the description has been directed to the function of the drawing roller in connection with a draw box or drawing frame, it will be noted that the use of such a roller is not limited to draw boxes but is applicable as well to combers, ribbon and sliver lap machines, spinning frames and other machines for spinning materials, or for preparing materials for spinning.

I claim,

1. A drawing or feeding roller for use in textile machines, said roller having a small number of relatively large ribs spaced substantially evenly about the periphery of said roller, each of said ribs providing an outer surface of substantial width concentric to theaxis of the roller, said outer surfaces being all substantially uniform in width'but varying slightly on the order of from approximately two to seven thousandths of an inch from an approximate minimum of one sixty-fourth of an inch, with the opposite faces of said width extending at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees to each other.

2. In a'maohine of the class described, the combination with a cylindrical roller presenting a continuous outer surface, of a feed or drawing roller in parallel alignment therewith, said feed roller having a small number of relatively large ribs spaced substantially evenly about the periphery of said roller, each of said ribs providing an outer surface of substantial width concentric to the axis of the roller for engagement with the outer surface of said cylindrical roller, Withthe opposite faces of each rib extending at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees to each other, said outer surfaces varying slightly in width on the order of approximately two to seven thousandths of an inch from a minimum of one sixtyfourth of an inch, said feed roller being positively driven for feeding fibrous material'between said roller and the cooperating cylindrical roller.

3. In a machine of the class described the combination with a' member providing a smooth annular surface, of a feed or drawing roller in parallel alignment therewith, said feed roller having a small number of. relatively large ribs spaced substantially evenly about the periphery of said roller, each of said ribs providing an outer surface of substantial width concentric to the axis of the roller for engagement with the arcuate surface of said member, said outer surfaces being all substantially uniform in width but varying slightly on the order of approximately two to seven thousandths of an inch from an approximate minimum of one sixty-fourth of an inch, with the opposite faces of each rib extending at an angle of forty-five degrees to each other.

4. A drawing or feeding roller for use in textile machines, said roller having a small number of relatively large ribs spaced substantially evenly about the periphery of said roller, each of said ribs providing an outer surface of substantial width concentric to the axis of the roller, said outer surfaces being all substantially equal in width but varying slightly from an .approximate :minimum of one sixty-fourth of an inch with the opposite faces of said ribs extending at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees to each other.

JOSEPH FOSSEL. 

